Can Net Zero and The Cost of Living Crisis Co Exist? With John Smith MCIAT

Does this episode title annoy you in the current circumstances that so many of us find ourselves in? It can be hard to stomach concepts like this when our worlds have been turned upside down in so many ways over the last few years.

However, architect and company director of Cityzen, John Smith MCIAT’s interview with Henry McDonald will certainly make you think!

Plus Peter Finn gives his very honest input about the current state of affairs on this topic as a builder in Ireland.

John Smith MCIAT:

 If the energy companies dropped all their prices tomorrow, everyone would have just turned things back on. And that’s no good for the environment and the planet. If we talk about it now at least they’re thinking about it when the energy prices come back down, and they go, oh, yeah, but if I do start turning things on, you know, what’s my carbon emissions?

About John Smith
John Smith is the Director of Cityzen Limited, a professional services firm that offers professional clients architectural design and planning bids, building regulations packages, and M&E advice for building development. Its team can assist in creating and developing the buildings you require by utilising their skills, experience, and technical knowledge. Building services engineering, thermal performance, feasibility, sustainability, and conservation are some of their specialities.

In this interview, John talks about his work at Cityzen Design and explain what Cityzen does in a nutshell by highlighting two or three projects that he is particularly proud of, as well as aspects of these projects that are good examples of working towards Net Zero. On example is in the photo above.

 John, like many others, feels that there is not enough energy and action at the local and central government level
There is a disconnect between the pace of change that is needed to address the climate crisis and the speed at which governments are currently moving.

This was a recurring theme at the recent FOOTPRINT+ event, where experts from around the world gathered to discuss the latest developments in sustainability.

While there was a general sense of optimism about the progress that is being made, there was also a growing sense of frustration at the lack of energy and action at a local and central government levels. This disconnect is likely to continue unless there is a radical shift in the way that governments operate. Only by working together can we hope to address the climate crisis in a meaningful way.

John will discuss his thoughts on the issue, the solutions he believes should be implemented to expedite the situation, and the statement he made in an article:

We have had successive governments not investing in retrofits (or saying they are, then pulling the funding!). The UK’s Housing stock is old, poorly insulated and draughty, at Cityzen we have been designing retrofits for houses and working with others on retrofit schemes (which were government backed) and reporting on how buildings can be retrofitted for over 10 years, we also have done 100s of surveys showing what buildings are insulated with or typically not and how they can be improved.

Discover more on the full Constructive Voices Episo

Constructive Voices: Inspiring change within the construction industry and related sectors

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